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Glenn O’Shea has all but cemented his place at the London Olympics by claiming the gold medal in the omnium at the track cycling world championships. O’Shea won the six-discipline event with a thrilling head-to-head ride for gold with Canadian Zach Bell in the kilo time trial, the final race of the contest.
O’Shea and Bell went into the time trial locked together on 20 points each at the head of the field after five events, but the Victorian clocked the second fastest time to claim the gold with 22 points on Friday night at Melbourne’s Hisense Arena.
Bell finished eighth, which was enough to claim silver on 28 points.
The Victorian came into the Melbourne world titles fighting for a spot as one of the five endurance riders to go to London and he’s appeared to have made it impossible for the selectors to leave him out.
“It is a tight selection. But I guess it’s hard not to take the world champion in the omnium, isn’t it,” he said.
With team pursuiters Jack Bobridge, Michael Hepburn and Rohan Dennis certain to go to London, O’Shea was battling with Alex Edmondson, Cameron Meyer and possibly Mitchell Mulhern for the two remaining spots.
He had already beaten omnium defending champion Michael Freiberg into the team for the world titles and edged out Edmondson to join Bobridge, Hepburn and Dennis in the silver medal winning team pursuit on Wednesday.
His omnium gold reinforces his versatility and said he would “absolutely” like to ride both events in London.
“I had been told by coaches and selectors what they wanted from me, I won’t go into that,” he said.
“But the whole year, they gave me targets … hopefully I’ve met them. Being world champion in the omnium, I think I deserve a spot at the Games.
“But I’ll leave that up to the coaches and selectors to decide.”
He came into the final day of the contest six points ahead of Bell in first place after finishing third in the flying lap, fifth in the points race and second in the elimination race.
But Bell bridged the gap to two points following the 4000m individual pursuit and then locked it up when he finished second in the 15km scratch race and O’Shea was fourth, setting up the thrilling finale.
Meyer will ride on Saturday and Sunday, but in the non-Olympic madison and points races, while Edmondson will not get a ride and Mulhern was left out of the squad for the world titles.
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